Stink Bug War

Hello, After working HARD to establish a beautiful vegetable garden in my Zone 7 yard last year, I found that doggone STINK BUGS had their own feast at my considerable expense. I just moved back to this area from Arizona and was happy to be able to grow a garden! So were, apparently, the Stink Bugs. I did not know about them when I left my area years ago...so this is a new WAR. They ate my beans, they ate my Rhubarb leaves, they ate my peas, they ate and ate...so PLEASE HELP me. I want desperately to be successful this year, and NOT THEM. How can this happen? By the way, I am into Organic gardening...

Hello Gracye. I see you haven't had any replies to your question. I wish I had an answer for you, but organic solutions aren't always easy to find. Most (including myself) usually resort to the chemicals to save our harvests.
I am wondering if you happened upon a possible solution to the stink bugs as I have noticed them starting in the fall and even in the house occasionally now that I've started some plants in the basement. I just squish the ones I see but am worried that come spring they may be plentiful. If you have (or do) come across something that works, I'd appreciate it if you would share the info as I do like to stay away from the chemicals whenever possible. Likewise, if I learn anything new I'll be sure and pass it along to you.
Thanks in advance for any info you might have.

Gracye---

Here is an article on Stink Bugs i have saved. If you Google them--i am sure you will get
pages and pages of information.....

Gita

The Brown Bug Battle Plan (Stinkbugs)
By Bev Walker (Sundownr)
October 21, 2010
It is bad enough that the smelly brown invaders messed up our fruits, nuts, and vegetables this summer, but now they want to live with us for the winter!

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, aka. Asian stink bug, or shield bug, has given us all a battle, and if not in your area yet, it will be in years to come. Scientists are saying they are still years away from finding safe methods to fend off and/or kill this Asian invader. They do not want to import a known natural predator to kill the stink bugs, the parasitic wasp, because it is not known how the wasp would react once it got here. It may decide it likes a beneficial bug better, and then we would have two pests to deal with. [1] The same is true for chemical treatments, a long-term effect is not known.
The stink bugs stick their straw-like snouts into the produce to suck out the juice leaving a small bit of saliva containing a compound (some say yeast, others say enzyme) that create blemishes on the surface and/or just under the skin. This can cause bruising, discoloration, and a condition known as "catfacing," too, making the produce unmarketable. Commercial growers are losing millions of dollars due to stink bug infestations with no known chemicals or methods to kill or repel the critter.
Homeowners have been inundated with these creatures crawling in groups of hundreds (or more) over their property and into their homes and vehicles, seeking refuge from lowering temperatures, and a warm place to hibernate for the winter. The stink bugs are considered a nuisance pest, costing the owners time and money in attempts to remove them. If homeowners have vegetable gardens or fruit or nut orchards, then there is an additional loss of food for their families.
The following video from the Smithsonian Institutes sums up what is already known about the brown marmorated stink bug and has a few suggestions to keep them out of your house (sealing the cracks and openings).
Entomologist Gary Hevel at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.
SmithsonianScience.org: Here come the stink bugs...
(www.youtube.com/v/BtFgm9dXOlw&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3")
Stink Bug Basics
To catch, destroy, or repel any pest, we must understand what "makes them tick." We need to know exactly what the stink bug can and cannot do. Its survival is based on the same needs as ours: shelter, food, and reproduction. These quick lists summarize the marmorated menace a little better.
Image #: 1460049, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources - Forestry Archive, Bugwood.orgClick for larger image.
What A Stink Bug DOES
· Does suck juice from fruits, vegetables, nuts, and other plants.
· Does emit a pungent skunk, or dirty foot, type of odor to deter predators.
· Does generate a pheromone to signal other stinkbugs to its location and/or to mark home.
· Does fly, and cling to most anything, to travel.
· Does invade small crevices in tree bark, houses, and vehicles.
· Does hibernate (or something similar) during winter.
What A Stink Bug DOES NOT Do
· Does not bite or sting humans or animals.
· Does not carry or spread diseases.
· Does not eat other bugs (they do not eat ladybugs).
· Does not chew or do structural damage to your house or furnishings.
· Does not eat, mate, or lay eggs while hibernating.
Stink Bug's Lifecycle
We have to know what the pest looks like throughout its lifecycle to take advantage of any opportunity we might have to eradicate them. Here is a chart with descriptions and photos of the stink bugs during various stages of its lifecycle, which can occur during any season since they can have more than one generation per year (depending on the warmth of the climate in your zone).
Eggs There can be 20-30 barrel-shaped eggs lay in a tight cluster underneath a leaf on wild plants. They can be off-white to a pale-yellow, or pale-green color, and approximately 1.6 x 1.3 mm (approx. 1/16 inch).Image #: 1460049, David R. Lance, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.orgClick for larger image.
Nymph-1st Instar Once hatched, this new nymph stays close to the eggs consuming the bacterial food found within the egg remains. It is black with reddish-yellow striped abdomen, red eyes, and about 2.4 mm (approx. 3/32 inch) long.Image #: 1460052, David R. Lance, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.orgClick for larger image.
Nymph-2nd Instar After molting, the nymphs change to a blackish color with a tick-like appearance. This photo shows 1st and 2nd instars around the egg mass. Image #: 1113010, Gary Bernon, USDA APHIS, Bugwood.orgClick for larger image.
Nymph-3rd Instar This nymph stage is starting to look more like the adults, growing larger and longer, red eyes, and with the noted white banding forming in the antenna and legs.Image #: 1460051, David R. Lance, USDA APHIS PPQ, Bugwood.org Click for larger image.
Nymph-4th & 5th Instars The 4th and 5th instar nymphs look very much like the adult stink bug, but have yet to fully develop their wings. They are approximately 12 mm (approx. 1/2 inch) long and have an off-white abdomen with reddish spots. Image #: 1113015, Gary Bernon, USDA APHIS, Bugwood.org Click for larger image.
Adult The fully developed adults grow to be about 17 mm (approx. 5/8 inch) long, are a marbled or speckled (marmorated) brown color with distinct dark and white markings around the border of the wings (bottom and sides of "shield"), and have white band segments on the legs and antenna. Image #: 5018055, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources - Forestry ArchiveClick for larger image.
Collection Contraptions
Aggravated homeowners, gardeners, and bug-phobic folk, are experimenting with different methods to repel, or lure and eradicate, the stinking little beasties. A few very ingenious, and some just commonsense simple, devices have been designed by clever individuals that seem to work well enough to help decrease the numbers of marmaorated marauders. I have included a few on these contraptions and links for more information below.
Porch Light & Bucket TrapMy friend Pam accidentally found a way to collect the stinkers overnight using a bucket hung from a porch light. It seems they were drawn to the light, then stayed for the warm bucket hospitality. All that is left to do is to dispose of the bad bugs using one of the methods below (Know Killers).Photo courtesy of pdhickey Cardboard Critter CatcherJody Williams of Delaware Township, NJ, designed a cardboard cubby to collect the brown bugs by propping it against the warm side of his house overnight. He can easily shake the critter condo into a large trash bag with a dose of ammonia water to kill them instantly. The trap is reusable and disposable, but not waterproof. Read more. Dwg. by Bev
LuresAny of these lures could be used together with the traps!· The stinkbug's malodorous chemical, or "homing" pheromone· Fruits, vegetables, nuts (may draw other insects)· Light colors (yellow), bright light, or sun rays· Warmth, warm sides of buildings, warm vehicles, etc.· South-facing and southwest sides of buildings, especially those reflecting the sun's rays as the day's temperature starts falling. Stink Bug Death TrapThis is a very simple stink bug disposal method made from a fast food to-go cup. You must gather the bugs from the room with a tissue then place them in the cup. The plans call for using water, but a small amount of dish detergent, alcohol, or ammonia in the water would assure the bugs not crawling back out. Check out the materials and easy construction on Instructables.A similar design is also being used with a bug lure in the cup, greasing the inside of the cup so they cannot crawl out, and having a couple inches of a killing solution in the bottom of the cup.
Known Killers:
· Toads, brown bats, Guinea fowl (and other birds), and the parasitic wasp (from its natural Asian homeland), are all known predators of the brown bug.
· Low temperatures below 40 degrees may kill them, but freezing temperatures will certainly kill them.
· Ammonia and solution containing the chemical like window cleaners will kill stink bugs.
· Alcohol and solutions containing the chemical will kill them.
· Hairspray; the higher the "hold" level the better and faster it works to kill them.
· Obviously, fire will kill most anything, including a bug with a built-in shield. Many folks are throwing stink bug "remains" into burn barrels or bonfires to discover they were not dead after all (bugs immediately came flying out). So cover your burn barrels with an old metal window screen or a piece of hardware cloth. When discarding stink bugs from vacuum cleaner canisters or bags, keep the bags sealed, and use heat, cold, or a chemical, to make sure the bugs are dead.
· There is always water. Stinkbugs can only float or tread water for so long before drowning. To facilitate the extermination process, add a little bit of dish detergent (Dawn works well) into the water too.
Deterrents & Repellents:
· Mint leaves, mint extracts, or peppermint oil in particular, has worked for some (will deter ants and mice, too).
· Try Dawn dish detergent. It kills and/or deters a long list of other pests if a solution of 1-cup detergent to 1 gallon of water, is poured around the foundation of your home BEFORE any bug invasions.
Bye, Bye Brown Bug
I doubt we will see an exodus of stink bugs coming out of our houses this spring, that compares to the invasion there was this fall to enter it. Some stink bugs will not survive the winter, but those that do will replenish the population soon enough. We need to be vigilant with our bug battle by:
· Recognizing the stink bug eggs and nymphs on the underside of leaves (on mostly weeds) in the spring, April-May in the northern zones and earlier in the south.
· Keep the weeds cut down and burn the clippings if we need to.
· Continue to look for the bugs at all phases of their lifecycle throughout the summer on our produce.
· The Asian stinker can have more than one generation of offspring per season if the weather stays warm long enough.
· Set homemade lures to collect and destroy them when we can, but try not to inadvertently capture the beneficial bugs with them.
Out of necessity, humans can ultimately be the brown marmorated stink bug's worst enemy! If we start paying more attention and spend a little time to get rid of them, surely the stink bug numbers will not increase, and start declining. Chemicals have already proven of little help in eradicating the bug, while damaging the populations of insects and animals that could actually get rid of the bugs for us (toads and beneficial insects). Do not wait until fall to be reminded that the bug is a menace and needs to be policed all year!

Thanks Gita.
I'll have to try the detergent spray around the foundation. I used the Ortho ant repellent spray last year to curb the carpenter ants that were getting underneath the aluminum siding but it obviously has no effect on these guys. There are just too many cracks to seal in alum. siding so I hope the Dawn helps, or maybe some mint around the foundation like you mentioned.
I appreciate your time and will check out some of the info you posted. They haven't done me any real damage yet, that's why I'm trying to curb them now. Who wants to find the ugly things in their house anyhow?

Thanks again for the tips,
Rick

Rick--

I heard in the news that the Stink Bug is not going to be a really big problem this year.
They thought it could be because off the extremely hot summer we had.

I washed some windows in late fall. I have seen a total of 5 or 6 Stink Bugs in my house.....so far....

There is an Insect Spray HD sells--I think it is by Bayer that says it works on Stink Bugs.
Ask someone there that knows what he/she is talking about.

I work in a HD, by the way. Been there almost 14 years.

Gita

Thanks, one and all. Throughout this winter, I have battled stinkbugs in the house, who seem to like staying behind pictures on the walls! Yikes! I have yet to come across a deterrent, and will certainly share with all of you kind people. As for the moment, I am just in the stage of bucking up to do battle with them...what you provided, especially in the information about the commercial growers, has really helped my understanding - I AM NOT ALONE! (Unfortunately!)

Update: We found two stinkers in our house yesterday. Thank you so much for the creepy, but necessary, details, Gitagal! I'm thinking that there will be a scarcity of Dawn Detergent this Spring...LOL!

Gracye--

I was in my shed the other day and took down a coiled soaker hose. A stink bug fell out of it.

SO! I stepped on it and squished it. Talk about the STINK!!! Now I know why thy are called that....
Any day now--when I get up the energy to do so, I will be unloading everything that is in my shed--
cleaning it all out and putting things (hundreds of pots--mostly) back in some kind of order.

Wonder how many more I will find??????? Gita

UUUGGGHHHH!I just looked at a window and there, crawling up the screen on the INSIDE (between the window and the screen) was an ARMY of stinkers. Gitgal, so sorry that you now know why the bug are called that. And now I am even MORE on the mission...the thing about making sure they are dead is pretty scary, you know. Any chance I could talk my lovely Preying Mantis into developing a definate taste for 'em? LOL I have not seen my Preying Mantis yet but boy, there is NOTHING like meeting one up close and personal...come to think of it, there's nothing quite like running into a stinker, either.

Gracye, that's funny! I don't know how much the mantis would care for stink bugs but, even if it did...it would be full for a long time! Not much help there unless you had an army of them too. I'm still a big kid when I run across one. I have to pick it up and play with it a little before putting it on my favorite plant at the moment. I know you can buy ladybugs but, I wish you could purchase a gross of the mantis too. I believe they're territorial so that probably wouldn't work anyhow. Doesn't hurt to dream.
I'm spraying and spreading this year. I found one in the shower a couple weeks back and that about did it for me! It might as well have been a cockroach!
The battle continues...

Grayce and Ironworker

Just wanted to let you know that we have had a 2 year ongoing thread on the mid Atlantic forum .
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1157265/

As our weather warms up the BMSBs that sought shelter in our homes, buildings and churches will begin to stir and make forays outside looking for food and places to breed and lay eggs. Now is the best time to eliminate as many of the overwintering adults as possible before they breed.

If the numbers I've read are correct, each "annoying" stink bug eliminated now means up to 64 MILLION less this fall. (400 eggs x 2 - 3 generations or more each season.)

ALL HANDS ON DECK!!!

As we move out into our gardens and outdoor environs let's be prepared to deal with any SBs we encounter, between pots, under tarps, and have a container of soapy water with us when we do..Here is Tracksinsands preferred method:

"as for any kind of stink bug, beetle or weevil problem, what i have found works best and most quickly is Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soap mixed with water. it is totally organic in the sense that it will not harm people or pets. it is a soap made for bathing and shampooing. it will kill whatever bug it comes in contact with so do not spray on bees. it actually has a smothering effect though it is not oily to the touch. i spot spray when i see a bad bug but i have also used it in my pump sprayer to spray the entire garden in the evening when bees are not present. i keep a hand spray bottle inside for the occasional spider or other bug that i can't catch and release outside.

there is no residue left over to "keep on killing" so it does require renewed efforts throughout the growing season."

Picture is of the eggs being laid now in our area.

Coleup---

Maybe Ace hardware has this product? They have a lot of odd things.
Is Castile Soap the same as the old-fashioned, brown bar of soap? Used to use it for laundry?

ironworker---

If you live near any wasteland/shrubby/tall grass kind of fields--you can go on a fun hunt for
Praying Mantis egg sacks. They are usually attached to some sturdy reed grass or thin shrubby
growths about 2'-3 high. Wear tall socks and long pants to avoid ticks...

You can cut off the whole stem of reed, with the egg sack attached, and then tie it to a similar growth in your garden.
Make sure it is oriented just the way it was. Hey!---these will be FREE!

I did that years ago---and got to watch the babies hatch out of it in my own flower bed.
I understand they often eat each other as they emerge....Hungry from birth....

Here is a link from when I Googled Praying Mantis egg sack. Have fun exploring all the links.

http://www.google.com/search?q=praying+mantis+egg+sack&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Gita

Gita, Dr. Bronners Castile soap is available at Whole foods, health food stores and our local grocery store carries it. It is a liquid soap and very pure and mild.

coleup,
I do not have any Whole Foods near me anywhere!

In the Grocery Stores--would it be located with the Dish Soaps? or--with the facial/bath soaps????
How about in a Rite Aid or a Wallgreens?

I will look for it! Need it! yesterday I went outside and looked at my Knock-Out Rose--
and all the buds were covered in Aphids.

Looked at a couple of day Lilies (from Nancy) that have been growing in 2 pots from seed--for 3 years now--
and all the clusters of leaves had Aphids all over them. Must be an Aphid-kind of Spring coming up.
I KNOW I will see them bloom this year for the 1st time!!! She gave me the seeds at a past Seed Swap.
Joyanna was already there--playing with Froggie's necklace. I took a lot of pictures---
You all remember??? I did all the funny captions under each one??

Back to the Aphids......
I grabbed the only insecticide I had in a spray bottle and doused all of them.
Will go out and see. If they are all back--I will do the liquid Joy in water and spray again.
Until I can get this Castile Soap....

****8Got my new Clematis today from Brushwood. A "Proteus". Need to plant it today!!! Bed is ready!
***Anxiously awaiting JB's package of her Aimee Gardenia. I sent her about a dozen rooted, baby CC's .
Good trade!!! She really likes plants i have sent her as she says they are all healthy and "grow like weeds"....

What a great pal!!!!! Gita

My previous "Proteus" Clematis.....

Gita, I think you meant to post this over on the Mid Atlantic Forum.

Good luck finding the Dr Bronners.

Yup!!! I transgressed.......Sorry!

Coleup, thanks for the tips and the link. I'm sure I'll be able to find the soap around here.

Gita, I don't have much land around me that's not owned or posted but, there is some State land not too far away. Might be a fun afternoon. Awesome clematis, by the way. Sorry to hear about your aphids but, they're usually not too difficult to keep under control. I used a weak ammonia/water solution for my slug issue last year and it kept the aphids at bay too. You only want to use that sparingly and on well established plants. I want to say 10% ammonia is what I used on my glads and large hostas. I don't know if the soap will have any effect on slugs but, I've got more info and new ideas for this season. Another battle...
Good luck all,
Rick

Trader Joe's carries the Peppermint type - is this the right one? If so, I'm going there right after work today...!

Mission accomplished, Dr. Bronner' Peppermint Castile Soap found and bought (yep,Trader Joe's has a big bottle for cheap), and I'm lookin fer da stinkers...LOL!

Gracye et al.

Rubyw just posted this other product on the midAtlantic forum thread on stink bugs

"
Definitely not seeing what we have seen in years past, but they are still here. The worst was a day a few weeks back when getting some stacked window boxes out of storage and separating them and finding masses between the boxes. I went nuts as always. One of my grandson's most used words is stink bug.

We did find something that does a great job of killing them last year though. It is called Bengal GOLD Roach Spray. The Hardware Store Guy told us about it and I have ordered it on line several times since. It works really well and for up to weeks at a time. You are to spray around windows and doors where they might be coming inside. Last summer after using it, I would go out in the mornings and find dozens laying dead at the door stoop. The only good stink bug, is a dead stink bug in my opinion.

Let's hope that the worst is behind us. Too freaky for me."

Gracye----

Thanks! i will have to go to T-Joes and get some. We do not have but a couple of them in the Baltimore area.
My closest one is about 20 min. drive away. But--I have not been there in a couple of years.
Need to go and check it out.....

Thanks, Gita

I concur - just WHERE are all those doggone aphids coming from? YYYECCCHHH! They were all over my tulips, now the roses, daylillies...and I am pretty vigilant! Well, at least I thought so...great to hear about that Roach soap - I'll try this Castile Soap first - seems like a "soap" kinda growing season, huh!

Coleup - you're not seeing them 'cause they've moved in with me! I got married two years ago and we moved into the cottage that hubby was renting out for many years...no foundation planting ('cept weeds and some kind of "turnip-root" weed shrub that caused me to dig a trench on the left of our little steps in the front - no joke) and no veggie garden. All is changed now, but seems the bugs are very happy here as well as we are!